Play The Game
by Gothic984
Summary: Gail is becoming obsessed with her investigation, while Lucas starts moving his parts into play.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Fulton County Affair.

It was a calm Wednesday evening in Trinity South Carolina, heavy rain had scattered all over the town a few hours earlier; however, the storm had now past and everything was still, apart from the residents who could not help but show their true colours under the veil of darkness.

Lucas Buck wandered the streets casually, whistling to himself as he walked. He had his own plans for tonight and had hoped that he would have been home by now to execute them; however, there was something which required his attention urgently, to ensure all the trains ran smoothly in his town.

If there was one constant in Trinity, it was that the women in his life could not adhere to the simple rules he set out for them. Usually he would not mind taking time out of his day to intervene with their plans; however, this cat and mouse game he was playing with Gail was taking up all of his energy and he could have done without this detour right now.

Lucas came to an alleyway and shook his head, she was a creature of habit he would give her that. He bent down to pick up a stone, then threw it at the large trash can leaning against the wall. Lucas smiled when he heard the rats curse and scutter around, then Bobby Wilkins rushed out of the alleyway trying to zip up his pants.

'Evenin' Bobby, how's that fine wife of yours?' Lucas mocked knowingly.

'Ah hell Sheriff, you scared me half to death. I was just...'

'Just takin' relations with someone that you shouldn't?' Lucas asked unimpressed.

Bobby shifted on his feet and stared at his hands nervously. 'You ain't with her anymore Sheriff, I just thought...'

'Well you thought wrong...' Lucas interrupted, '...A good friend of mind is fond of that one, you put the word out that she's off limits you hear?'

Lucas watched as Bobby nodded frantically at his warning, then signaled for the man to leave. When he turned towards the alleyway he saw Selena saunter out and shook his head disapprovingly.

'You wanna enlighten me as to why you felt the need to interrupt my fun?' Selena asked cattily.

Lucas laughed and ran his hand through his hair. 'You've got a perfectly man to have fun with at home Selena, why would you be down here with these reprobates?'

Selena laughed an shook her head in disbelief. 'As if you care what I get up to and who with...since when is it your business who I step out with?'

'Since your boyfriend is now a close personal friend of mine...It's about time that you grew up and started actin' in the proper way. You made your choice long ago when you chose to align yourself with Billy and the last thing I need is him havin' a hissy fit due to your infidelity'

Selena narrowed her eyes at Lucas, he had never taken an interest in her activities before and this change in behaviour was irritating. 'I think you've been around the lovely Miss Emory for far too long, she appears to have stripped away your sense of fun' she mocked.

Lucas shook his head, then closed the distance between them. 'Oh I'm goin' home to have my fun now Teacher, I suggest you do the same' he whispered, then turned around and headed in the direction of his car.

* * *

Gail sat in the Library of the Buck Mansion, reviewing the papers spread out over the table. The Walter Maine incident had become an obsession of hers and it was all she could think about, even when she was performing her motherly duties. Gail did not allow her obsession to cause detriment to the children; however, her tasks were performed on autopilot and she would sneak away to this room whenever she could, to look through the evidence she had uncovered.

Up until now, Gail had not uncovered anything concrete and the lack of any real evidence in this case was beginning to frustrate her. She had interviewed close friends of the family and dug into Betty's life; however, she had hit a brick wall and that was when she chose to change her tactics, vowing not to allow Lucas to beat her.

Gail had spent an inordinate amount of time at the crime scene and her mind had been flooded with visions of that awful incident; however, her visions were not concrete evidence and they only served to mock her for what she could not prove. She saw Betty and her little boy in her dreams every night these days, calling for justice. That had prompted her to push her darkness deep down and allow her old need to pursue the truth to shine through. Walter was hidden away in Juniper House and Lucas strolled around without a care in the world, that was not justice and it was not in her nature to allow such a thing to go unpunished.

The only saving grace at the moment was that her friend Christie had hit the same brick wall and was feeling the frustration too. The longer this dragged out, the longer she had her best friend with her and that was something she was thankful for.

Although Gail believed she had won the bet, as she had gotten in to see Walter and managed to get the inside scoop, Christie had assured her that the challenge was still ongoing and she was pulling out all the stops to try to find the truth of what really happened. Christie's determination made her smile, Lucas was so focused on Gail that he was underestimating her friend and that could work in their favour. Gail had decided to bide her time and allow the attention to be solely on her, then she would strike when the time was right.

A small creak took Gail out of her thoughts and she turned towards the door of the Library, to see Lucas holding a large bouquet of deep red roses. She let out a long sigh as she gathered up her papers into a large folder, then stood up and approached his position. 'As beautiful as these roses are, you can't really think they're going to distract me from what I'm working on' she said, as she took the bouquet and turned back towards the table.

Lucas smiled, then reached for her hips and pulled her back into him. 'Of course not, but I am' he teased charmingly and began kissing her neck softly.

Gail leaned back into him for a moment, savouring the feeling of his lips on her neck, then pulled free of his grasp. 'Give it up' she smiled and started walking towards the table in the middle of the room.

Lucas shook his head, then grabbed her arm forcefully and pulled her to face him. 'You're really so engrossed in your witch hunt that you don't know what day it is do you? I don't know whether to be flattered or offended'

Gail stared at him confused for a moment, then the date clicked in her mind and she laughed in disbelief. 'You've got to be kidding me...You know the only famous thing to happen on Valentine's Day was a massacre right?'

Lucas was amused at where her mind automatically took her and laughed. 'A girl after my own heart' he smiled devilishly and started to lead her out of the Library.

Gail shook her head at her own stupidity, of course he would be impressed that her mind instantly took her to something dark. 'You're not seriously buying into this?' she asked, trying to reason.

Lucas led her to their bedroom, where a dozen bouquets of roses were spread throughout the room and rose petals lay on the floor. He nodded towards the large box on the bed, wrapped in a silver ribbon and pushed her gently towards it. 'You've been cooped up here with your obsession for long enough Miss Emory, now get dressed and I'll be waiting for you in the car' he ordered, then left her alone in the bedroom.

Gail glanced around the room in disbelief at how oblivious she had clearly been. She had been here all day and had not noticed he had gone to this much trouble, or that Luke was not here where she had left him sleeping. She approached the bed, then opened the box and sighed. 'Of course he did' she said to herself and pulled the short black lace dress out of the box. She supposed there was no harm in putting her investigation on hold for a few hours to see what he was up to and began to change.

* * *

Lucas pulled up outside of his favourite restaurant and got out of the car. He handed the valet his car keys, then walked around to the front passenger side and opened the door for Gail, holding his hand out to her to provide assistance. He smiled to himself at how short the dress he had purchased was and watched as Gail had to strategically step out to prevent the dress from riding all the way up. He had been surprised that she had so obediently followed his orders and had struggled to control his urges throughout the drive here.

Gail sensed his thoughts and leaned in close to him, took hold of his hand then placed it under her dress. 'I may have forgotten a certain part of this outfit' she whispered, then smiled mischievously when he ran his fingers over her bare sweet spot.

Lucas took a sharp intake of breath, then placed his hand on the small of her back and led her into the restaurant. He had expected to distract her away from her investigation; however, she appeared to be doing a good job in distracting him. When the Head Waiter led them to his usual secluded table in front of the large fireplace, Lucas held the chair out for her to sit down then squeezed her shoulders affectionately and left with the Waiter.

Gail watched suspiciously as Lucas disappeared through a door in the corner of the restaurant, then sighed and started to survey her surroundings. This Valentine's Day lark had taken her by surprise and she had guessed he was attempting to distract her; however, she had chosen to try and beat him at his own game.

Gail had no desire to be here, in fact she could not stop thinking of her next avenue of investigation; however, she was stuck here for now and was attempting to figure out what Lucas' next move was. She needed to get him off of her case, to enable her to come up with her next plan of action and being in one of his domains right now may not work to her advantage.

A familiar face caught her eye to the right of a pillar and Gail smiled. She stood up from her seated position and headed towards the more crowded area of the restaurant, then her smile faded when she came upon the couple in front of her. 'Well this isn't inappropriate at all' she said disapprovingly and folded her arms over her chest.

Matt's eyes closed at the sound of Gail's voice and he set his menu down. He felt his heart sink deep into his chest and tried to find the best words to say.

'What are you doin' here? I thought you'd be workin'' Merlyn chimed in, sensing Matt's discomfort.

Gail ignored Merlyn and continued to stare at Matt. 'You're kidding me with this right?' she asked her friend.

Matt looked at Gail, then narrowed his eyes at her attire. He knew she would not be comfortable wearing such a revealing dress with high heels in public and he could see the irritation in her eyes. Matt sensed all the eyes in the room on them and took hold of Gail's arm, to lead her away from the prying residents. 'Why would you wear that? You don't think you get enough attention as it is these days?' he asked disapprovingly.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'You're worried about the attention I'm getting? You're the one on a date with a 17 year old girl!' she snapped quietly, ensuring no-one could overhear them.

Matt stood up straight and glanced towards M, who smiled warmly at him. 'It's not what you think Gail' he tried to reason.

'The hell it isn't...' she said louder than she had intended, '...I was wondering what he would do to distract me, I'd never have thought it would be you'

Matt regarded Gail with confusion for a moment, then realised what she was insinuating. 'I'm not sabotaging you, I'm just out for dinner...'

'On Valentine's Day, with my cousin?' she let slip in anger, then placed her hand on her mouth when she saw the shock in Matt's eyes.

'Your what?' Matt asked, feeling a knot form in his stomach.

'Her metaphorical cousin...keep up with the program Harvard' Lucas interrupted, as he appeared next to the pair and glanced at Gail impatiently.

Gail signaled for Matt to return to his table, then let out a sigh of relief.

'You really do need to watch your words around people love. Now, if you're about done visitin' another man, it's about time we ordered' Lucas advised, then led her back to their table.

* * *

Lucas watching triumphantly as Gail finished her fifth glass of wine. Seeing Matt dining with Merlyn had put her on edge and Lucas was well on hand to supply her with plenty of wine, to enable her to drown her concerns.

He had sensed she was attempting to fight her darkness recently, to enable her to push forward with her pursuit of the truth. Harvard had not been a part of the plan to distract her from that tonight; however, he had been an unexpected advantage and Lucas sensed her darkness starting to slip through her barrier.

Gail watched Lucas carefully, her mind was hazy from the alcohol and she cursed herself for allowing him to get her into this state. Her thoughts of Betty had been replaced with thoughts of Matt and Merlyn, those thoughts did not take her to a good place and she was struggling to remain in control of her feelings. The more she watched Lucas' smug expression, the more disheveled her mind got. She had made it far too easy for him to control her feelings tonight and she was disappointed in herself.

Lucas sensed her disappointment and signaled for the Waiter to bring another bottle of wine, then moved his chair beside her. He reached under the table and caressed the inside of her thigh, before leaning in close and whispering in her ear. 'The night's only just begun love, you givin' up so soon?' he asked teasingly.

Gail narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously and attempted to push down her desire, as his fingers began to stroke the spot between her legs. 'Is that what you want? Someone to submit so easily?' she goaded.

'What I want is for you to trust me' Lucas whispered.

'I do...' Gail advised, '...and if you told me you didn't do it I'd have no choice to believe you, but you can't do that can you?'

Lucas stared deep into her eyes and prepared himself to lie, then chose to remain silent.

'That's what I thought' Gail said, then leaned in close and placed a soft kiss on his lips. If he wanted to play, she was game and would pull out all the stops like he had to ensure she was victorious.

Lucas nuzzled his head into her neck and kissed it softly, he sensed she was ripe for the game tonight and was confident she did not know what was coming.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Matt sat at his table, watching Gail from across the room. He had not been able to enjoy his meal with M, knowing he had upset his friend and he had noticed Lucas was continuously supplying her with wine. Matt knew Gail was not one to conform to something like Valentines Day; therefore, he began to wonder why she was here and what Lucas was up to.

Merlyn was unimpressed that Matt's attention was elsewhere and did not know why her companion had suddenly turned cold towards her. 'Do you feel guilty for somethin', is that it?' she asked and watched as his attention finally returned to her.

Matt had not considered how his behaviour must look to M and forced a smile, then took a sip of his glass of water. 'This is a little inappropriate...' he shrugged, then turned his attention back to Gail. '...What do you think is going on over there? Why would he be trying to get her drunk when he can have her anyway?'

Merlyn looked over her shoulder and spotted another bottle of wine being brought to the table where Lucas and Gail sat. She sensed Gail was not her usual self and her own curiosity began to spike. 'She's been investigating the Walter Maine story...' Merlyn started.

'So have you and he isn't over here trying to manipulate you' Matt interjected.

Merlyn thought for a moment, then shrugged. 'He's always all over her, today isn't any different'

Matt shook his head and caressed her chin gently, then turned her to face Gail's table. 'Oh but it is, look...Usually he's over confident and doesn't need alcohol to close the deal, especially as he believes he has her. Something is different here'

Merlyn watched her cousin closely, she was downing her drinks quicker than she normally did and she guessed the short lace dress was not one of Gail's choosing. 'Alright, I'll play along...So he's gone out of his way to make her feel uncomfortable and she's drinkin' to get through it'

'Exactly' Matt nodded and started to feel concern for his friend.

Merlyn let out a long sigh, then stood up and took hold of Matt's hand. 'What's say we make this interestin'?' she asked, then dragged him behind her without waiting for his answer.

Matt allowed himself to be led; however, he had a bad feeling as to what she was leading him into.

Lucas was continuing to stroke Gail and kiss her neck seductively, when he felt her tense. He looked up to see Merlyn stood in front of their table, with Matt hiding behind her and let out a long sigh. 'I understand this little thing you two have ain't very smart, but I thought you both had enough brains not to interrupt me and mine' Lucas said in irritation.

Gail reached under the table and squeezed Lucas' knee, to indicate for him to back down and then turned her attention towards Merlyn. 'This better be good' she warned, unimpressed at her presence and placed her glass of wine down.

Merlyn pulled up a chair from an empty table beside them and sat down, leaving Matt standing behind her. 'I've got somethin' I wanna run by you' she stated and smiled innocently.

Gail sensed Lucas's anger, then trailed her hand up his leg and stroked his manhood over his pants. 'I don't buy that innocent look...This isn't the time' Gail advised and signaled for Merlyn to leave.

'Am I not your family?...Sorry, metaphorically your family?' Merlyn asked sweetly and shot Lucas a smug look.

Lucas sensed a challenge in Merlyn Ann and returned his hand to Gail's sweet spot, then smiled when she bit her lip to keep in her moan. 'I do believe this little Missy wants your attention love...You think I should share?' he mocked.

Gail took hold of Lucas' hand and removed it from between her legs, then gave him a look of warning. Her mind was hazy and she did not like being pulled between the two of them, especially when she was attempting to work out Lucas' game. 'You know what you are to me...' she said to Merlyn, '...but you know this isn't the time, so what is this?'

Merlyn shrugged and continued to look at her cousin sweetly. She sensed Gail's irritation and all she wanted to do was pull her away from Lucas.

Lucas sensed his grasp on Gail loosening due to Merlyn's interference, so he stood up and brought another chair to the table. 'You know Harvard, I don't think we've given it enough of a chance. We're both fond of the same woman, I think it's about time we learned to play nice together...why don't you sit down?' Lucas asked and smiled at Matt's suspicious look.

Matt glanced at Gail, who appeared too concerned with M, then took a seat next to Lucas. He had wanted to know what Lucas was up to and now he was up close and personal, thanks to M.

Lucas smiled and placed his arm possessively around Gail, this was not the way he had foreseen the night going; however, it certainly kept things interesting. 'I don't know about you folks, but I'm dying for dessert' he winked at Gail and signaled for the Waiter to bring the dessert menu's.

* * *

Gail was finishing off her large slice of red velvet cake and shook her head at Lucas' attempt to engage Matt in conversation. She had held off on the wine while Matt was at her table, respecting his sobriety and was started to regain control of her mind. She had been watching Merlyn closely and sensed that her initial interruption was to ensure that Gail was thinking clearly around Lucas. She did not like the girls actions in interjecting herself into the equation; however, she appreciated her concern and they were family after all.

'So Doc, what did you get your valentine? Somethin' befittin' of her uniqueness I hope' Lucas smiled and watched as Matt shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Merlyn glanced at Gail, who just rolled her eyes, then turned her attention to Lucas. 'What did you get the mother of your child? Surely somethin' more befittin' than that tight little dress you forced her into' she said sarcastically.

'He's not stupid enough to fall into the trap of throwing money at the Card and Gift Stores, for a fake holiday' Gail answered for Lucas, then shot Merlyn a look of disapproval which dared her to continue. She relaxed when the girl chose to remain quiet and continued to finish off her cake.

Lucas smiled at how easily Gail controlled Merlyn, then pulled out a blue velvet box and got down on one knee in front of her. 'I suppose I'm a little stupid' he shrugged and held up the box to her.

Gail turned her full attention towards him, then crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest in an unimpressed manner. She disregarded the sharp intake of breath she heard from a prying resident who had clearly been watching them and shook her head.

'You can't be serious!...' Matt started in disbelief and leaned forward. '...Gail you can't...'

Gail held her finger up to silence Matt, whilst not taking her eyes off Lucas. 'I've already got one of these and I bet it's a damn site more unique than the one in that box' she said calmly.

Lucas looked deep into her eyes and smiled. 'Considerin' you ain't wearin' my Mothers ring, I thought you must be holdin' out for a more expensive one'

Gail glanced around the room in irritation. Lucas had not made a spectacle, all he had done was silently get down on one knee, yet all eyes were suddenly on them. She was not stupid, she knew this was all part of the game and she commended his ability to surprise her. She would never have suspected he would make such an open gesture on Valentine's Day and this left her in an uncomfortable position, especially when he knew she did not rate marriage.

Lucas watched her reaction carefully, he sense the cogs turning within her and it amused him that he had caught her off guard. She was clearly trying not to react and attempting to remain in control; however, the silence in the restaurant and the eyes on them were clearing bothering her, it was written all over her face. 'You gonna make me stay down here all night?' he asked sarcastically.

'I just might' Gail forced a smile to hide her irritation and took the small box out of his hand.

When she opened the velvet box, she was taken aback by the large diamond shining up at her and the pattern on the white gold band. The ring itself was beautiful and he had clearly gone to a lot of trouble in finding something unusual for her; however, this was not something that she had ever wanted for herself and she begrudged the thought of being officially tied down to someone for the rest of her life.

Sensing this had gone on for an unnatural amount of time, she bent down and placed a soft kiss on Lucas' lips, then let out a long sigh when he got up.

'Is that a yes Miss Emory?' Lucas asked, when he sat down in his chair.

'It's a you can go service yourself tonight' she stated, then put the ring on her finger and signaled for Merlyn to follow her out of the restaurant.

Matt shook his head in disbelief at the stunt Lucas had just pulled, then got up and followed the women out of the restaurant.

Lucas poured himself a glass of wine and took a long sip, when the Head Waiter approached him.

'Did everything go as planned Sheriff?' the man asked nervously.

Lucas smiled and nodded. 'Drink's are on me friend, I just got engaged' he winked, then downed the remainder of his glass of wine.

* * *

Gail awoke in Abe's guest bedroom, to Gideon on the pillow next to her and the sound of her screaming son. Her head was throbbing; however, she shrugged off the pain, reached for her robe and headed into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Abe attempting to rock Luke unsuccessfully back to sleep.

'He's usually fine until he suspects you're here...' Abe sighed, '...I swear this little devil can sense you'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'A trait he get's from his father I suspect' she smiled and took Luke into her arms.

Abe watched as the baby instantly stopped crying and snuggled into his mothers chest. 'Everythin' go alright last night? I wasn't expectin' company after Lucas dropped the baby off'

Gail held up her left hand unimpressed, ensuring Abe caught sight of the ring and then sat down at the kitchen table with Luke.

Abe shook his head when he saw the large rock on her finger and ran his hand through his thinning hair. 'I guess that boy really think's he's got you now'

Gail laughed and turned towards her Uncle Abe. 'Do you believe he has?'

Abe laughed and poured her a cup of coffee. 'I think you do what you have to with whatever life throws at ya Rosie'

'Did you know about this?' she asked, curious as to whether Abe had sided with Lucas behind her back.

'I did not...' Abe answered irritated, '...If I had I woulda smacked him around the head with my cane, see if I could knock some sense into him'

Gail smiled and stroked Luke's head affectionately. Suddenly, the kitchen door opened and she nearly jumped out of the seat when Caleb stumbled in tiredly. She had not realised anyone else was in the house and she let out a long sigh. 'He roped you into staying here too?' she asked her cousin.

Caleb sat down at the table and shrugged. 'It's better than stayin' with Merly and Matt, they're weird these days'

Gail looked at Abe, who just shrugged, then turned her attention back to Caleb. 'I'm sick of being controlled by the man...You wanna take a run up to Thomasville with me today?'

Caleb regarded his cousin curiously and shrugged. 'What's in Thomasville?'

'Absolutely no-one we know' she advised and took a sip of her coffee.

Caleb smiled when he realised she was serious and nodded excitedly. 'Alright cous', we're goin' on a roadtrip!'

'Great...' Gail smiled, '...You go get ready and we'll head straight out'

Abe shook his head when Caleb rushed past him and glanced at Gail disapprovingly. 'He ain't gonna like you takin' his boy Rosie'

Gail stood up and grabbed Luke's bag. 'Well he really ain't gonna like me takin' both his boy's then is he?' Gail mocked mischievously, then placed a reassuring kiss on Abe's cheek and headed to the bedroom.

* * *

Lucas entered Trinity Elementary School and whistled to himself, as he walked casually down the deserted corridors. Gail had chosen to stay with Abe last night, wasting the effort he had put into their bedroom with the roses; however, Lucas was still reeling from her accepting his proposal, therefore, he could forgive her for the wasted roses.

After Lucas had awoken this morning, he had a strong urge to see his boys; however, it appeared the news of his engagement had spread across the town and as soon as he stepped off his property, he had been greeted by well wishing residents. By the time Lucas had been able to get on his way, he knew Gail would have taken Caleb to school and began her investigation again. So here he was, heading towards his eldest's classroom.

When Lucas entered the classroom, all eyes turned to him in awe. He enjoyed seeing these children, they gave him a sense of purpose and there were few things better than a child's respect. Lucas smiled charmingly at all the children, then his eyes fell on Caleb's empty desk and his smile faded. 'Mornin' Teacher, it appears you're missin' one less today' he said to Selena, who had continued to write on the black board and disregarded his presence.

Selena turned towards Lucas and narrowed her eyes at him confused. She had assumed Caleb not turning up for class was down to him; however, by the look on his face, it appeared Lucas was in the dark just like she was. 'Caleb is awol today Sheriff, unless his cousin has forgotten to inform us of him being ill' she said cattily.

Lucas stared at her in irritation, then forced a smile for the children who had not taken their eyes off him. 'I'm sure the boy is just taken a little ill, I'll be sure to send him your regards' he smiled, then turned to leave.

'You're not leaving yet are your Sheriff?...' Selena asked, sensing his urgent need to locate Caleb and choosing to derail his efforts. '...Please don't go yet Sheriff, please...'

'Please!' the class all shouted in unison.

Lucas let out an exasperated sigh, then smiled when he turned back towards the children. 'Alright kids, you got me for an hour...Who wants to be deputized?' he forced a laugh, then shot Selena an irritated glance.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb surveyed his surroundings with innocent curiousity. He had never been outside of Trinity before and although Thomasville was only the next town over, he felt like he was embarking on a new adventure.

The drive over here was not as long as he initially thought it was going to be and they had managed to park the car securely, to enable them settle in a park by midday. This meant they had a few hours to spare before having to head home and Caleb wanted to take full advantage of this time.

Gail watched Caleb's wonder of everything around him, as she sat on a swing slowly moving back and forth. She remembered when she first began to explore different places and she had developed a real love for travel. It appeared that her cousin had the same interest as her, it was just a shame that his father would not allow him to go far. 'I wish I could run us over to Nashville, you'd love it there' Gail smiled.

Caleb glanced at his cousin affectionately and smiled back at her. Being out here with her made him realise how much he loved her and although Luke was in the buggy next to them, all of her attention appeared to be on him for a change. 'I'd love to go there with you cous', maybe next time we can all go' he suggested.

'All?' she asked, as she opened a bottle of Lemonade for them to share.

'You know, Lucas too' he shrugged and sat on the swing beside her.

'What makes you think he'd want to come with us? He seems very happy in Trinity' she said, as she watched Caleb begin to swing more forcefully than she was.

'He gave you that ring didn't he?' Caleb asked knowingly.

Gail stopped swinging for a moment, then regarded her cousin suspiciously. 'You knew about this?' she asked.

Caleb stopped swinging and turned towards his cousin. 'I helped him pick it out, he wanted to get you something different'

'Do you know what this signifies Caleb?' Gail asked curiously. She had not expected Lucas to involve Caleb in this and it had taken her by surprise.

Caleb inhaled deeply, then shrugged. 'All I care about is our family, if that thing keeps us how we are then it's fine by me'

Gail laughed in disbelief and shook her head. 'What if I told you that someone in our family did a bad thing to someone else, what would you think then?'

Caleb thought for a moment, he knew she would be referring to Lucas and he was not blind to what Lucas sometimes did to people; however, as long as it was no-one he cared for in the firing line, he did not really care. 'Did the person deserve it?' he asked, before answering fully.

'What does that matter? People got hurt'

'Maybe he got hurt first' Caleb shrugged and his eyes started to wander around his new surroundings again.

Gail narrowed her eyes at Caleb for a moment, then something within her mind clicked and she let out a small laugh. If Lucas targeted Walter, the man must have done something to him first.

She had been on the receiving end of one of Lucas' deals and the pressure to pay up became uncomfortably intense at one point. He never forced her will, he was very careful about that; however, she had this almost supernatural desire to pay what she owed, until she felt as though she was ready to explode. She wondered whether Walter was also on the receiving end and maybe he did not pay, that would go against Lucas' rules and he did not react well to insubordination.

'I love you' she said subconsciously to Caleb, then leaned over and gave him a big hug.

Caleb wrapped his arms around Gail and squeezed her tight. 'I love you too cous'...Now what are we doin' next?' he smiled.

Gail rustled his hair, then pulled him up off the swing. 'You know, I'm sure we can find a hobby store here to get you some new gear and a stretch of water, to allow you to test it out' she suggested.

Caleb's smile grew wider and he went to Luke. 'Fishin' somewhere other than the Trinity River? I'm in!' he said excitedly and followed Gail while pushing Luke's buggy.

* * *

Lucas paced around Billy Peele's office in Juniper House, waiting for the man to arrive back off his long lunch. He had returned to the Sheriff's Station after his visit to the Elementary School, expecting a call from Gail to confirm the whereabouts of his family; however, he had not heard a thing and he was beginning to get anxious.

Lucas knew Billy had started to become friendly with Christie, he also knew that Christie would not think twice about using the man if it meant she got access to Walter Maine. Lucas would usually step in and ensure Billy was sticking to their agreement; however, he was too focused on his missing family and his interest in Christie was for something else.

Billy entered his office laughing with Christie, then his laughter stopped when he saw the serious look on Lucas' face. 'Jesus man, is everything alright?' he asked concerned.

'Where is she?' Lucas asked Christie, ignoring Billy.

Christie regarded Lucas with confusion, then took a step back towards the door when she saw the strange look in his eyes. 'Where's who?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, he was not in the mood for games. 'Don't play dumb with me, I know how close you two are and she wouldn't disappear without talkin' to you first...I wanna know where Gail is and I wanna know now' he demanded.

Billy glanced at Christie, who had backed up against his office door, then regarded Lucas cautiously. 'Christie has been with me all afternoon Lucas, she hasn't spoken to Gail' he advised, attempting to calm his friend down.

Lucas shot Billy a look of warning to keep out of this and was about to release his twin on Christie, when he heard her mobile telephone ring. Without hesitation, he approached her and reached into her jacket pocket, then pulled out her mobile. 'Where the hell are you?' Lucas demanded, when he answered the phone.

'Don't get your knickers in a twist...' Gail said sarcastically, unfazed by his tone. '...We're just out fishing'

'I won't ask you again Gail' Lucas warned calmly, disregarding the unimpressed look that Billy was giving him.

'I don't believe I appreciate your tone Sheriff' Gail mocked, then hung up the telephone.

Lucas stared at the mobile in disbelief, as he felt his rage rising within him. He knew they were not in Trinity, as he would have sensed them by now and this action of hers was going against the rules.

Lucas was aware that Christie was watching him carefully; therefore, he took a deep breath, forced a smile and then handed her the mobile telephone. 'That friend of yours has a death wish' he warned, then walked out of the office.

'Don't I know it...' Christie sighed, then turned to Billy. '...Is he always like this?'

Billy quickly closed the door when Lucas left, as though that would protect them from whatever was bothering him and ran his hand through his hair. 'The guy's a little intense' he shrugged, then held his hand out for Christie's telephone when it began to ring again.

Christie was not in the habit of allowing people to take her calls; however, she trusted Billy and was curious as to what had caused the town Sheriff to act in such an inappropriate way, therefore, she handed her mobile telephone to Billy.

'Wherever you are Gail, you need to get back here right now' Billy stated, as he leaned back on his desk.

'Oh Hi Christie, what a masculine voice you've taken...Put my damn friend on now!' Gail ordered impatiently, not happy that both Lucas and Billy had answered her phone.

Christie smiled when she heard Gail's demanding tone and took the telephone from Billy. 'He's only trying to help Gail, back off' Christie warned.

'Are you alright?' Gail asked concerned, she had not expected Lucas to be with Christie and she had reacted on instinct with him.

Christie laughed and shook her head. 'Apart from having an odd fear for my life from your other half, I'm peachy'

'He wouldn't dare touch you...'

'Should he be touching anyone?' Christie interrupted.

'Drop it...' Gail ordered and Christie could hear the frustration in her tone. '...I want you to meet me at Johnson's Bridge in 2 hours. Go find M and she'll show you the way'

'Why don't I just ask Billy' Christie asked and shot Billy a sweet smile.

'Oh come on, I know those hazel eyes aren't fooling you as much as you're pretending they are' Gail mocked knowingly.

Christie laughed and ran her hand through her hair. 'Alright bestie, I've got a few things I need to do first then I'll be there' she agreed and hung up the telephone, then perched herself next to Billy on his desk.

'Where is she?' Billy asked curiously.

Christie shook her head in a mock scolding gesture, then smiled. 'Hell if I'm going to tell the other side of the fence'

Billy smiled and nodded, he guessed he would be seen as an ally to Lucas Buck these days and did not blame her for being cautious. 'Alright, that's fair...I'm assuming you've got a bit of time before you have to rush off?'

Christie smiled, then shrugged. 'It depends, what are you suggesting?'

'Oh I don't know, I'm sure we can find something interesting to do in this small town' he laughed, then signaled for her to follow him back out of the office.

* * *

Lucas sat on his side porch, drinking a large glass of whiskey with his oldest friend Abe and staring out into his extravagant garden.

After he had visited Billy's office, his pent up frustration required a release and he had visited young Poppy Bowen with the aim of hurting his love; however, Abe had stepped in and ensured he did not do anything that would jeopardise his family.

It was a shame that his old friend had not been around when he visited Ernie Brown's farm earlier, the unfortunate tractor accident may not have occurred if his friend had recognised that he had needed supervision due to his bad mood. Oh well, Ernie was never the brightest of the bunch and the consequences of his rage being released could have been much worse. Ernie was lucky it was just a leg that he lost and the accident was not more fatal.

'I'm proud of you boy' Abe sighed and took a long sip of his drink.

Lucas turned towards Abe and narrowed his eyes at him. 'I'm not sure I've done anythin' worth that statement today' he advised.

Abe laughed and shook his head. 'You coulda blown what you got, but you didn't. I'd say that's progress' Abe shrugged.

Lucas smiled devilishly, thinking back to Ernie; however, he chose not to tarnish Abe's opinion of him today. Before he had a chance to comment, he heard the unmistakably loud engine of Gail's Mustang as it pulled into the driveway and saw Caleb rush through the gates.

'Lucas, guess what I did today?' he asked his Father excitedly.

Lucas forced a smile and glanced towards Gail, who was slowly approaching with Luke in her arms. 'Well you certainly weren't in school' he said unimpressed.

'We went fishin' in Thomasville and I caught some bass for dinner!' Caleb continued proudly, not catching on to Lucas' bad mood.

'Thomasville?' Lucas asked and shot Gail an irritated look.

Gail handed Lucas the baby, then bent down and placed a soft kiss on her Uncle Abe's forehead. 'Thank you for keeping out of it' she smiled and helped him out of the chair.

'You knew?' Lucas asked angrily, carefully standing up whilst holding Luke.

'It weren't my place...' Abe shrugged apologetically, '...Just like it wouldn't be my place to tell her what you got up to'

Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head. He had not considered that Abe had been keeping something from him and he felt his rage begin to rise within him again.

Gail sensed the change in Lucas immediately, then took Luke from his Fathers arms and passed him to Abe. 'I need a word with my fiance...If anyone feels the need to get some fish carcasses out of my very expensive car, it would be much appreciated' she smiled sweetly, then took Lucas by the arm and led him around the back of the property.

Lucas could feel his twin clawing to be released and for the life of him he could not think of a reason not to adhere to it's wishes at the moment in time. He felt betrayed by his oldest friend and also by his senses, for not realising Abe would know the location of his family. He was not used to this feeling and he did not like it. The sound of Malcom's laughter ringing through his ears did not help the situation and he felt as though he was ready to explode.

Gail heard Malcom's laughter and sensed how angry Lucas was; however, she was still proud of her actions today and had never actually believed she would have gotten out of town with the children unchallenged. This gave her faith that she was not fully his yet and she was still able to present a challenge.

She had no doubt that her actions would cause him to retaliate on some poor soul and she did not want his focus on anyone close to her; therefore, she chose to do the one thing that he was not expecting her to do, in an attempt to calm him down.

Lucas was about to release his twin; however, he stopped when Gail knelt down in front of him, unzipped his pants and placed his manhood in her mouth. Lucas was taken aback by the quick action and let out a loud moan when she began to suck.

Gail smiled when she felt him relax and stroked her free hand up his stomach. Malcom's laughter ceased instantly when she ran her tongue up his hard manhood and nipped at his tip, in the way that he loved. She savoured the taste of him in her mouth and began to suck faster, the sound of his hoarse breath turned her on and she craved him inside of her; however, this act was just about him and she had no doubt she would have her turn later.

Lucas tangled his hands in Gail's hair and watched as she took him with her mouth, his ill feelings began to melt away and all that was left was his desire for her. As his climax rose within him, he continued to watch her. When the intense please became too much, he called her name as he exploded within her mouth and smiled when she swallowed his liquid. He pulled her up to him and kissed her passionately, ignoring the taste of himself on her lips.

Gail could barely breath from the force of his lips on hers and she took a deep breath when he allowed her to break free from the embrace. 'Better?' she asked mischievously.

'For now' he warned, then led her back to the front of the house and away from the lively spirits of late.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Merlyn sat in the Trinity Public Library, reading through the book Lucas had borrowed her from his own personal Library. Although Merlyn liked to believe she was not scared of anything, she did not want Matt to find her with this book as he would be suspicious of where she had gotten it. It was only a book; however, she suspected that Matt would take it that she had succumb to Lucas' charms.

'Well haven't you done just that Missy?' Lucas asked sarcastically, as he sat down beside her.

Merlyn rolled her eyes and closed the book carefully. 'I most certainly have not...What do you want?' she asked abruptly.

Lucas sat back in the chair and feigned a hurt look. 'Can't I just be checkin' up on a member of our family?'

'I ain't your family and you ain't mine, you wanna try again?' she said forcing a sweet tone.

Lucas reached for the book and opened it carefully. He was impressed that she had managed to get so far through it, considering to old style language it was written in. 'You know, there's plenty more where this came from should you require'

Merlyn shook her head in irritation. 'I don't require anythin' of you Lucas, now what are you botherin' me for?'

Lucas laughed and placed his arm around her shoulder. 'I'm not botherin' Merlyn Ann...like I said, I'm just checkin' up on you. Where's your mentor?'

'Which one?' Christie asked, as she approached the pair and placed her bag on the table.

Merlyn sensed Lucas' distrust of Christie and smiled, he should be distrustful with the secret meetings Gail and Christie were having recently.

Lucas put on his best southern gentleman smile and stood up to meet Christie. 'I was only aware of one Reporter coachin' our little M here, has Gail decided to join in?' he asked casually.

Christie laughed and put on her best warm smile. 'I wouldn't know what my friend is doing. We work for separate Newspapers, haven't you heard?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas noticed a new wave of confidence radiating off Christie and he began to wonder what she was up to. It was a good job he had accounted for Christie in his plans of late. 'I'm assumin' my love is hidin' herself away in our home, considerin' she's the talk of the town' Lucas shrugged.

'Now why would Gail be the talk of the town? The news of her having your baby has died down'

Lucas smiled devilishly and closed the distance between them. 'I'm sorry, I thought she would've confided in her best friend about the rock I got her' Lucas answered smugly.

'Excuse me?' Christie asked confused.

Merlyn had not thought about Christie after the happenings on Valentine's Day, she assumed Gail would have given her the heads up. 'They're engaged Christie' she said, not being able to stand Lucas' smugness.

Christie stared at Lucas with annoyance, Gail had chosen to leave that detail out and if his smugness was to be believed, it appeared she was the only one who was not aware of the news. Christie shook her head in irritation and stormed out of the Library.

'It appears my loves friendship may be under strain' Lucas laughed, then winked at Merlyn as he left her alone to her book.

Merlyn watched Lucas leave and let out a long sigh, she could not believe Gail had left herself open for him to attempt to drive a wedge between her and Christie. Merlyn closed the book and carefully put it into her bag, she needed to find her cousin before this got out of hand.

* * *

Gail sat on the Riverbank where Betty Maine's lifeless body had been dragged out of the water. She had attempted to go into town to continue her investigation into Walter's past; however, everywhere she went there was a resident who wanted to congratulate her and this was the only place she had found she could be truly alone.

Lucas had clearly worked this out so his townspeople would tie up her investigation, she could get no work done when the people she talked to only wanted to discuss her engagement and this was beginning to cause her frustration. Gail praised his cunning, his plan was working well and the engagement tied her to him officially; however, she could still use this to her advantage, she just needed to figure out the right way to go about it.

Gail had realised that Lucas was very much like her, he knew what he needed and would not stop until he found a way to get it. As soon as she had given herself over to him, she had realised her name could further his already powerful standing in this town. She was not naive and she would stand by her choices; however, she would not allow herself to be used as a pawn to further a mans standing, at least not without it benefiting herself.

She would play happy family while it suited her, there was no way of getting out of that as she was the mother of his child; however, she would not succumb to his ways and if he believed he could control her by making her his wife, Lucas had another thing coming.

A rustle of the trees in the clearing behind her caught her attention and she turned around to see Merlyn watching her. 'I want to be alone' Gail said and shook her head when she sensed Merlyn coming closer.

Merlyn sensed her cousin's frustration and had managed to pin point her location. It had taken her a while to get here; however, she was happy that her connection with Gail was still strong and she had found her. 'Are you alright?' she asked, as she sat down beside her cousin.

Gail laughed at Merlyn's inability to sense her intrusion and took a deep breath. 'I was' she sighed.

Merlyn glanced out into the water and felt sorrow at what had happened here. 'This truly was awful' she whispered.

Gail turned towards her cousin and caught a glimpse of innocence on her face. 'There's worse things, at least it was quick' she reassured her.

Merlyn nodded and thought of the poor boy who had drowned. She had been so busy trying to help with the story that she had not actually stopped to think about the tragedy.

'Sometimes it's better to throw yourself into work, dwelling on what happened isn't going to help anyone' Gail advised, reading her mind.

'How do you stop yourself from dwellin' on it?' Merlyn asked.

'I don't' Gail shrugged and thought back to the dreams of Betty that plagued her every night.

Merlyn sensed her cousins sadness and placed her hand on her shoulder. 'Christie's pissed at you' she said, thinking a change in subject might help.

Gail narrowed her eyes at her curiously. 'At me? Why?'

Merlyn let out a long sigh, then forced a smile. 'I'll give you one guess'

Gail rolled her eyes and shook her head. 'What's he done now?'

'It's what you didn't do' Merlyn said.

Gail continued to look at Merlyn confused, then the realisation hit her. 'That son of a bitch' she laughed in disbelief, then got up.

'Where are you goin'?' Merlyn asked, as she watched Gail pick up her back and head for the clearing.

'We're going to find Christie' Gail said and signaled for Merlyn to follow her.

* * *

Lucas sat in his office, sifting through incident reports. He had assured Ben he would take the information he had spent an inordinate amount of time on very seriously; however, he could not care less about parking tickets, or the odd resident speeding. His mind was preoccupied with how his plan was working, he was proud of himself for doing something Gail had not expected and now he wanted to witness the repercussions of his actions.

Lucas continued to glance over the incident reports, then moved them to one side and got up from behind his desk. He opened his minds eye and sensed Christie sat with Billy at the Coffee Shop across the road; therefore, he decided a coffee break was needed. Lucas left his office and signaled for Ben to follow him. 'Come on friend, we need some fresh air' he smiled wickedly and laughed when Ben rolled his eyes at him.

Ben followed obediently, not wanting to give Lucas any reason to teach him a lesson. He was unsure whether he liked the good mood Lucas appeared to be in and realised he did not, when he saw Billy sat with Gail's friend Christie across the street. Ben wanted the ground to swallow him up right now, he did not want any part in what Lucas was up to and had a bad feeling about how this was going to play out.

'Don't be so worried Ben...' Lucas reassured him amused, then pulled up a chair at Billy's table. '...Fancy seeing you good people here'

Christie glared at Lucas with irritation, then chose to ignore his presence and just smiled at Billy.

Billy shook his head at Lucas' interruption and took a sip of his black coffee. 'Haven't you got work to do?' Billy asked, hinting for Lucas to leave.

'Haven't you got a girlfriend?' Lucas asked sarcastically and smiled when Christie nearly choked on her cappuccino.

'Is there a law against talking Sheriff?' Christie asked defensively.

'There's a moral law against poachin' another woman's man...Don't you women have some sort of code when it comes to these things?' Lucas mocked.

'Depends on the other woman' Gail chimed in as she approached the group, then stood protectively behind Christie.

Christie was about to regard her friend, when two women from inside the Coffee Shop rushed over and grabbed Gail's left hand curiously.

'Oh dear that is beautiful, have you two set a date yet?' the older of the two women asked.

Gail instinctively ripped her hand free and shot Lucas a look of anger, when he just smiled smugly at her she put on her best smile and regarded the women pleasantly. 'Give us a chance' she forced a laugh and signaled for them to return to their table.

Lucas laughed as he stood up and pulled a chair beside him, then tapped it expectantly.

'It appears your fiance is summoning you bestie' Christie said sarcastically and smiled at the annoyance on her friends face.

Gail felt all eyes on her in the Coffee Shop and decided the best course of action was to play along; therefore, she forced a smile and went to sit beside Lucas, allowing him to place his arm possessively over her shoulder. 'I was going to tell you' Gail tried to explain.

'When? After the ceremony?' Christie snapped, irritated.

Gail rolled her eyes at her friends overreaction, then spotted Ben stood a short distance away from their table. 'You just going to stand there all afternoon?' she asked in frustration.

Ben knew Gail was projecting her irritation at him and grabbed a chair obediently, to join sat with the group. 'I guess I should congratulate you'

'I swear to God I'll punch you if you start too' Gail warned, then shot Ben an apologetic look when she realised she was taking her mood out on him.

Lucas took hold of Gail's left hand and kissed it softly. He was happy to perform for the gossiping biddies and this would all go in his favour.

Christie watched Lucas in disgust, then turned her attention to Gail. 'Seriously, what is this? You don't do marriage'

Gail let out a frustrated laugh and shook her head. 'Apparently I do now'

Christie regarded her friend suspiciously and guessed this was some possessive play made by her partner. She had sensed he was dominating and controlling; however, she never believed she would witness Gail being taken in by it. 'We're leaving, now!' she ordered Gail, then stood up and dragged her out of the Coffee Shop.

Lucas watched amused as the women left, then waved playfully at Merlyn who was waiting in Gail's Mustang.

'Did you have to drive her away?' Billy sighed.

'If I were you Billy-boy, I'd hope Selena doesn't stumble across your extra-curricular activities of late...That woman is all kinds of crazy' Lucas warned, then signaled for the Waitress to serve them.

* * *

Christie sat in the drivers seat of the Mustang, cruising down a long stretch of road. She had banished M to the back seat and wanted her friend up front with her.

Gail sat silently in the front passenger seat, Christie was the only other person she allowed to drive her car and the woman only took control when Gail had really screwed up. 'Christie I...'

'Shut up and let me think' Christie ordered and allowed her instincts to guide her. She loved this picturesque town; however, there was something rotten here and she could not shake the feeling that her best friend was allowing herself to be tied to it.

Merlyn watched the two women carefully, she had never witnessed Gail being controlled so easily and she was curious about the hold Christie had on her.

'Never you mind' Gail said to Merlyn, reading her mind and then glanced curiously around the large parking lot they had pulled into.

Christie got out of the car and slammed the door hard, then waited for Gail to follow her. She would deal with what was going on with her in time; however, right now she was sick and tired of this story dragging out.

Gail cringed when the door of her Mustang slammed hard and pushed down her instinct to lash out. She regarded Juniper House with disdain, then got out of the car and went to stand with her friend. 'You don't think I've tried several times to penetrate this dingy place?' she asked sarcastically.

'Why is it so hard to get in and look around?' Christie pondered out loud.

'What, your seduction methods on Billy haven't been working?...' Gail mocked, '...This place is like a fortress when they know who you are'

Christie nodded and leaned against the Mustang. 'I've been pulling out all the stops to get Billy to allow me to see Walter Maine, but they aren't working'

'At least you're having fun trying' Gail smiled knowingly, then pondered for a moment.

She sensed the men were still together in town. Lucas thought Christie had dragged her away to argue and knew his belief that he had won would buy her some time, before he sensed her presence here. Juniper House was unprotected by it's usual guards; however, there were still plenty of orderlies that were aware of who she and Christie were.

They could not just waltz in and make there way to Walter, especially with the gleaming rock on her finger getting everyone's attention. She could summon Gideon, and he would find a way in undetected; however, a dog could not ask the questions they required. There had to be another way, something she had not thought of. Suddenly it hit her and she turned her full attention to her cousin.

Merlyn paced behind the car, surveying her surroundings. She knew people did not like it here; however, she had felt at home here when Matt was locked up. This place was were people got discarded and she truly felt for them. Suddenly a strange feeling hit her and she turned around, to find Gail smiling at her. 'What?' she asked confused.

Gail's smile grew wider, an innocent girl like this wandering around the halls of Juniper House would not be challenged like her and Christie would be. She glanced around the parking lot and spotted Gideon skulking behind a tree, this was truly perfect. Gail nudged Christie and signaled for her to follow, then linked Merlyn's arm and led her towards Gideon.

'What's goin' on Gail?' Merlyn asked concerned, when she spotted Gideon.

'You've been shadowing Christie long enough, it's about time you got your hands dirty...You've got 5 minutes to regroup with Christie, then you're going in there with Gideon' she advised, then began routing in her bag for her notepad.

Christie smiled at the young girl and nodded. 'That would work, they'd never suspect a pretty little thing like you...How would she know where Walter is?'

Gail leaned down and stroked Gideon affectionately. 'My trusted companion will lead her right to him, won't you boy?' she asked and smiled when Gideon nuzzled into her neck playfully.

Merlyn shook her head in disbelief. 'I ain't goin' in there on my own...Lucas will seriously kill me!'

Christie did not like the genuine concern in the girls voice and turned towards Gail.

Gail stood up and placed two hands on Merlyn's shoulder. 'Over my dead body...' she reassured, '...Besides, Lucas is going to be busy'

'Busy with what?' Christie asked curiously.

'It's better if you don't know' Gail sighed and began to write in her notepad.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Gail pulled up at the Trinity Guardian and parked her Mustang in her parking space in front of the building. She had been avoiding her workplace whenever possible since she had given birth to Luke, as she knew how nosy Reporters were; however, this was the perfect front for what she required right now.

Gail had left Christie and Merlyn at Juniper House, then called Lucas and asked him to meet her. She spotted his Crown Victoria parked on the street and knew he had beaten her here; therefore, she took a deep breath and went to find her fiance.

When she entered the building, she exchanged pleasantries with the Security Guard manning the front doors today and headed to the elevator. She was not looking forward to what she had planned and cursed herself for allowing her life to get like this. When she reached her floor she exited the elevator and walked down the corridor, then through the large main room until she reached her office. She disregarded the curious looks from her colleagues and focused on her desired destination.

Gail let out a sigh of relief when she closed her office door, then shot a disapproving look at Lucas when she saw him with his feet up on her desk. 'You really think that's an appropriate way to greet me with the mood I'm in?' she asked in disbelief.

Lucas smiled cunningly, then got up from his seated position and approached her slowly. 'I can think of a much more appropriate way to greet my new fiance' he teased, then grabbed her arm and pulled her to the large window overlooking the street.

Gail felt his hard manhood press against her behind through his pants and allowed him to lift her skirt up. 'You'd think from the way you're behaving that you actually wanted to propose' she said sarcastically.

'Maybe I did' Lucas mocked, then unzipped his pants, ripped off her thong and thrust his hard manhood inside of her.

Gail let out a loud moan and was thankful that the blinds on the window overlooking the main room always remained closed these days. She pushed herself further back, to allow him to enter her deeper and smiled when he nipped at her neck playfully.

Although Lucas loved being inside of her, he realised that this had been too easy; therefore, he picked up his pace from the start and pounded in and out of her, to enable their release to come sooner.

Gail sensed his suspicion and cursed herself for not showing some restraint. She allowed him to take her roughly, then moaned loudly when she began to feel her climax rising within her.

Lucas held her hips tight and continued to pound her roughly, until he exploded within her and bit down hard on her shoulder to stifle his moans. He pulled himself out of her, then shook his head as he handed her a handkerchief to clean herself up. 'You think I'm that stupid?' he asked knowingly and began tidying his appearance.

Gail cleaned herself as she tried to slow her breathing, then smiled sweetly at him. 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean love' she said sarcastically, then opened her office door when she had smoothed down her skirt and signaled for her colleague Danielle to join them.

Lucas sat down on the couch in her office and watched her carefully. He did not know what she was up to yet; however, he would work it out. He smiled charmingly at Danielle and signaled for her to sit beside him on the couch, playing along with Gail's game. When Gail perched herself on the edge of her desk, he waited patiently for her move.

'Thanks for joining us...' Gail said to Danielle and put on her best smile, '...I'm sure you've heard the news'

Danielle smiled and tapped Lucas playfully on the shoulder. 'You sly dog you...None of us actually expected a proposal'

Lucas laughed and shrugged. 'I wouldn't be Lucas Buck if I didn't keep you all on your toes' he smiled charmingly.

Gail tried not to roll her eyes at the display and forced her smile to remain. 'Well, seen as the gossip has already started, we might as well get ahead of it and make the official announcement' Gail suggested.

'Mark would be ecstatic if he got the exclusive story of your engagement' Danielle advised.

'Don't I know it...' Gail laughed, '...Well, I can't report on it myself so who better than someone who's known Lucas for a long time?'

Lucas watched Gail carefully, she was playing her role nicely; however, he did not trust her willingness. 'If we're gonna do that, we might as well go the whole hog with family pictures and all' he suggested and smiled smugly when Gail's smile dropped to a frown.

'I don't think forcing our baby to be on the front page of a Newspaper is appropriate' Gail tried to remain calm.

'Aww hell love, a full family portrait is just what everyone wants...We'll even get that cousin of yours in there, seen as he's part of the family now' Lucas said amused, then stood up and placed his hand on Gail's shoulder.

Gail took a deep intake of breath, in an attempt to control her anger. This was not playing out like she had envisioned and Lucas was spinning this around to his favour. 'Caleb won't want to be a part of this' she advised.

'Don't be so silly, that Temple boy is lucky to have been taken in by you both and I get the feelin' he'd love to be an official part of the family' Danielle smiled and stood up from her seated position.

'Alright...' Gail gave in, '...but I want this done now'

'That can be arranged love' Lucas smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips, before he left the office to collect Caleb from school.

Gail led an excited Danielle out of her office, then started exiting the building to pick up Luke from Abe's House. This had not gone the way she had expected; however, at least Lucas' attention was firmly fixed on her.

* * *

Merlyn stood outside of Walter Maine's room nervously, with Gideon at her feet. Gail had been correct, the dog had led her right to him and now that she was here she was at a loss of what she needed to do. Gideon moved behind her and gave her a gentle shove, which indicated he was aware of what was expected of her; therefore, she just inhaled deeply and approached the door.

It had been easy enough to get down here, even if the room was buried deep in Juniper House; however, what they had not accounted for was that the door would be inevitably locked. As if waiting for this cue, Merlyn heard a click in the lock and the handle began to turn on it's own, opening the door for her. She shot Gideon a suspicious look and backed up slightly when she saw his eyes glow yellow.

Merlyn glanced into the dark room tentatively, then stepped inside slowly with Gideon following behind her protectively. The room was like a cell, much like the one Matt had spent his time in while he was here. There were bars on the small window, which let in a inadequate amount of light and the room itself was very bare. She knew the man had killed his wife and caused the death of his son; however, part of her still pitied him.

Merlyn spotted Walter sat on the floor in the corner, with his head in his hands. He looked like a shell of a man and her nerves began to resurface.

'Who are you?' Walter asked, without lifting his head out of his hands.

'I'm a Reporter...' Merlyn stuttered, saying exactly what Gail had told her to. '...I'm here to get your side of the story'

Walter laughed hoarsely, then began to cough. He had been without water for a few hours and the dryness of his throat was beginning to bother him. 'There's only one Reporter I'll speak and there ain't no way in hell she's gettin' let down here again'

Merlyn considered his words and instantly knew he was talking about Gail. She remembered that her cousin had tricked Billy into allowing her to see Walter; however, Lucas had cut that visit short. 'Gail's the one that sent me, she wanted me to give you this and then ask my questions' Merlyn said and handed him a small piece of paper.

Walter looked up at the pretty girl and shook his head, she was too young to be getting involved in something like this and Gail Emory should have kept her out of it. Walter let out a long sigh and reached for the piece of paper, let out another hoarse breath when he read it and threw it down on the floor. 'Anna Marshall, that's the name she wants...Now hurry up with your questions and get outta here' he snapped and put his head back in his hands.

Merlyn wrote down the name on her notepad for Gail, then preceded with Christie's questions. She was surprised Walter was allowing her to interview him and she did not want to be in here for longer than she had to.

* * *

Lucas stood proudly in front of his extravagant Mansion, smiling for the camera. He had decided that the best setting for their very public portrait would be his home, this was the first time he had officially let a member of the press enter his premises and he wanted to ensure that he remained in control.

Lucas had allowed Gail to roam his property on many occasion; however, it was never openly for an article and he could always spin her activities into something that would benefit him. This was different and it would be the first official public documentation of his family.

Gail sensed Lucas' feelings of grandeur and tried to control her irritation. This performance was one of necessity and she did not want Lucas to believe he had won for any longer than she had to. Gail was on her best behaviour, like Lucas she was aware that this was the first official confirmation of their family and she did not know whether she was ready to allow this to go public.

Lucas placed his arm tenderly around her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Gail knew he sensed her discomfort and his efforts to reassure her only added to her frustration. She signaled for the photographer to wrap up and smiled sweetly one last time, before pulling Luke away from this spectacle and checking her mobile telephone for any update from Merlyn.

Lucas nodded his appreciation to the photographer for putting up with Gail's mood, then made his way to his love and took the mobile telephone out of her hand. '5 missed calls, it appears Merlyn may be in dire need of some assistance from her cousin' Lucas said sarcastically, then took Luke so she could call her.

Gail winked at Caleb on her way past him and paced slowly around the garden, waiting for Merlyn to pick up. When she finally did, Gail let out a long sigh of relief. 'Are you done?' she asked, glancing over her shoulder to see Lucas watching her suspiciously.

'I am, but there's somethin' you need to know'

'There's a lot I need to know, but not right now...Did my note get read?' Gail asked curiously.

'Yes and Anna Marshall is apparently someone you'd be interested in, but Gail we really need to talk about...'

'We can't talk now, I'm busy with my family...' she interjected, when she sensed Lucas had moved closer to her. '...Are you alright getting back?'

'Billy's shown up, he's gonna drop us off at your old place...Meet me there Gail, it's important' Merlyn said, then hung up the telephone.

'What have you got that innocent girl into?' Lucas mocked knowingly, as he rocked Luke gently in his arms.

Gail stared at the mobile telephone for a moment, then turned towards Lucas and smiled. 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean' she feigned innocence, then slapped his behind playfully as she walked back to Caleb.

Lucas watched her suspiciously, then shook his head. He knew she was up to something; however, he was confident that she could not touch him.

* * *

Merlyn paced on the porch outside Gail's old place of residence, ignoring Matt's look of concern. She had been waiting for an hour for her cousin to show and she was starting to get impatient.

'She should have been here by now' Merlyn stated and continued to pace the porch.

Matt let out a long sigh and shook his head. He understood that Gail had wanted M to have something to focus her energy on; however, he did not approve of her getting so involved in the Walter Maine story. Her behaviour of late had been questionable to say the least and now she was more on edge than usual, he was beginning to get worried. 'Gail will be here when she can, she wouldn't just abandon you when you need her' he attempted to reassure her.

'That's right...' Gail said, as she walked down the garden path with Caleb in tow. '...Now what's so important that I needed to drop everything and come over here'

'I know you were distractin' Lucas...' Merlyn started, then stopped when Gail raised a finger to silence her.

'Caleb, why don't you go inside with Matt? You haven't spent any proper time with him in ages' she suggested, then turned her attention to Merlyn when Matt rushed Caleb inside.

'I'm sorry' Merlyn said, realising she should be careful what she said around Caleb.

'It's alright, you're still learning. Now seriously, what's gotten you so worked up? Did Walter do something to you?' Gail asked concerned and sat down on the porch swing.

Merlyn shook her head and sat down beside her cousin. She had been nervous about talking to her, after she had spoken with Christie and she could feel her heart beating heavy in her chest. 'I didn't know that I should've waited for you...I thought she'd just hang fire until she addressed it with you' Merlyn said quietly.

Gail could sense Merlyn's discomfort and watched her cautously. She did not understand what she was trying to tell her and she did not have the patience to wait while she beat around the bush. 'Addressed what with me?...Merlyn spit it out, you're making me nervous' she said sweetly and placed a reassuring hand on her cousins knee.

Merlyn took a deep breath and shook her head. 'I shouldn't have told her, I was confused after speakin' to Walter and I couldn't think straight'

'Told who what?' Gail asked, beginning to get frustrated.

'Christie...' Merlyn said as she looked down at her hands nervously, '...I told her what Walter said'

Gail did not like the nervousness her cousin was displaying and felt a knot form in her stomach. 'What did he say Merlyn?' she asked sternly.

Merlyn chewed her lip and continued to play with her hands, she was trying to figure the best way to tell her cousin what had happened; however, there was no easy way to say this. 'He blamed Lucas for it all, I mean everythin' Gail!...Now Christie thinks that's all the evidence she needs and she's gonna publicise it in the Charlston post!' she spat out worried.

Gail said back in the porch swing, as if recoiling from being struck. She knew Christie did not like Lucas; however, she thought her friend would have to common courtesy to come to her with her concerns, rather than sneaking around her back to publicly accuse her Sheriff fiance of a crime.

Gail remained silent for a few minutes, attempting to push down her unease and shook her head in irritation. 'Are you positive she's running with the story?'

'She called her Editor on the way back from Juniper, advisin' him that she would have one hell of a story for him by mornin'' Merlyn sighed.

Gail contemplated her options for a moment, then nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Merlyn's knee. 'You were right to do what you did and I appreciate you coming to me with this'

Merlyn let out a relieved breath and smiled at her cousin, thankful that she was not mad at her. 'What are you gonna do?' she asked curiously.

'Well, I'm not in the habit of covering up the truth, if Walter is in fact telling the truth that is...' Gail sighed, then got up from her seated position and paced around the porch. '...Where's Christie now?'

'She went to pick up a few bits from the Store' Merlyn shrugged and watched Gail carefully.

'Good...Can you keep an eye on Caleb and make sure he gets back to the Buck Mansion later?' Gail asked.

'Of course...Where will you be?'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I have no idea, but I need to think' she sighed, then turned around and headed toward her Mustang.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas sat in his office at the Sheriff's Station with Caleb, going through his family pictures for the Danielle. Gail had demanded that they have the final say on what pictures were published and he had chosen to collect Caleb from Gail's old place, to help him choose the most suitable picture to represent their family.

He was not stupid and knew Gail was attempting to cause a distraction, to cover up whatever she was doing; however, he was more than happy to spend this time with his son, with the knowledge that she could not touch him no matter how hard she tried. Gail was a complex creature and he understood her limitations, even if she did not. Lucas had faith in her ability to dig up the truth and he knew it was not a good idea to underestimate her determination or talents; however, they were meant to be together and he did not believe she could turn on him like she once thought she could.

Lucas laughed to himself at the thought of her misguided belief that she could get him. She had no idea of the consequences of such a betrayal and knew she had not thought the matter through properly. He was confident he was on top here, how could he not be he was Lucas Buck; however, he looked forward to finding out what she had uncovered, more out of curiosity of how far she would take this.

Caleb looked up from the picture he had been surveying and watched his father carefully. He had heard him chuckle to himself and was curious as to what was so amusing. Caleb sensed something had been going on for a while now, Gail had not been around as much as he would have expected and she had been allowing Abe to watch Luke a lot these days. He would have expected Lucas to have something to say about that; however, he appeared preoccupied himself and Caleb had been left to his own devises recently.

Lucas sensed Caleb's thoughts turn to him and was taken out of his own pondering. 'You find anythin' suitable there son? Or are you too busy with your head in the clouds?' he asked sarcastically.

Caleb let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'You're one to talk...What are you thinkin' about?' he asked curiously.

'Family...' Lucas shrugged, '...You?'

'The same...' Caleb answered honestly, then moved a picture closer to Lucas. '...I like this one'

Lucas stared down at the picture and nodded appreciatively. The photographer had caught the majority of his house in the background, whilst managing to capture them all in a sophisticated pose. 'You don't think the Guardian wants a closer shot of Luke?' he asked.

'I don't think Gail does' Caleb shrugged, then stood up and glanced at the Sheriff of the year award behind Lucas.

'Is there somethin' on your mind son?'

'Just wonderin' why Gail agreed to this, when she's made it clear she don't want anyone pryin' into our business' Caleb pondered.

'Maybe she's finally comin' around to my way of thinkin'' Lucas shrugged.

'Or maybe she's got somethin' up her sleeve' Caleb smirked.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, his boy was smarter than he let people believe. 'You let me worry about that son...It'd never come down on you if she did anyhow'

Caleb nodded, then let out a long sigh. 'I've enjoyed the last 2 days, it's the first time I've felt part of the family with you both since Luke came around'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Caleb, then stood up and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'We are a family...you, me, Gail and Luke, we're in this together and don't your ever forget that'

'Merly's my family to' Caleb said quietly, as he stared at his hands.

Lucas nodded and smiled, he had not expected this opening to come right now; however, he would most certainly take it. 'That sister of yours could do with a fresh start son...I know you love her, but sometimes you need to consider what's best for the girls around you and bindin' her to us might not be the right move here'

Caleb considered for a moment, he had noticed Merlyn had been spending more time away from him over the past few months and started to wonder whether it was her way of wanting to be on her own. The thought saddened him and he did not know what to do.

'What you do is focus on the family in front of you' Lucas advised, reading his mind.

'Luke?' Caleb asked.

'That's right...your little brother is gonna need someone to look up to and show him the right path. Your cousin is handful to put it mildly, I know you're old enough to understand that and appreciate that I'm doin' all I can to keep her where she needs to be...With that in mind, it may be hard for me to ensure your little brother stays on our path'

Caleb nodded, he understood fully. He felt that he was different, this was not new to him and he knew from Lucas' teachings in the past that it was part of their lineage. Gail was different too; however, she was not like them. He was unsure of why she was how she was and although he knew she cared about him, her bond seemed to be stronger with Merlyn.

Caleb had noticed this a while ago and it had never been something that concerned him, as they were his family; however, now that Luke had come into their lives, he supposed all of their differences could rub off on him and he understood fully that Lucas wanted Luke to remain like them. 'Gail might not like him followin' me' Caleb said, thinking back to the time he lost control and attacked her.

Lucas smiled proudly at his boy's ability to understand fully and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. 'You leave her to me son...She's a part of this too and she will come around to our way of bein' he stated confidently.

'And if she doesn't?' Caleb asked curiously.

Lucas pondered for a moment, then shrugged. 'We'll cross that bridge if it comes'

Caleb nodded, then shrugged Lucas' arm off his shoulder. 'As long as you understand that she was my first family after Merly died and I won't allow anythin' to happen to her, then that's fine' he warned, then sat down and continued to look through the pictures.

Lucas watched his boy curiously, this was the first time he had openly acknowledged to him that he knew what he was capable of and he was not sure how to respond. Lucas chose to disregard the comment for the moment and sat back down behind his desk; however, he would revisit this at a later time.

* * *

Gail sat on a tall bar stool in Jimmy's bar, drinking a vodka and lemonade. She had been fighting internally with herself over what Merlyn had told her and was not sure of the best way forward; therefore, she had chosen to blow off some steam. The sound of a glass being placed in front of her caught her attention and she looked up to find Jimmy smiling at her.

'Thought you could use this, seen as you appear to have been pushed out' he smiled, then filled up the shot glass with Sambuca.

Gail glanced over her shoulder, to see a round of shots being delivered to Christie's table. She had been confused due to her inner turmoil when she had dragged her friend here and after drinking an inordinate amount of alcohol, Christie had come clean about Walter's accusation which had been caught on tape. That was all it took for clarity to return to her and without a second thought, she released her darkness to do what she could not bare to.

Gail had embraced the darkness flowing through her veins and allowed her alter ego Rosemary to take control. She had fought when Rosemary excused herself, then called Billy Peele to come join them. When the second person was called, Gail felt a moment of remorse; however, she allowed Rosemary to do her thing then continued to drink with her friend, until their first guest arrived.

Billy had been confused at Gail calling him and inviting him out; however, he was more than happy to join them in the festivities.

Gail could sense both Billy's and Christie's desire for each other; therefore, after Billy had downed 3 shots in an attempt to catch up, she excused herself to the bar and allowed them to be alone. When Selena turned up, Gail signaled to their table and ignored the smug look on Selena's face. She did not approve of Rosemary bringing her into this, but she could not deny that the woman had a way of getting things done.

Right now, Selena sat with her arm around Christie and was shooting Billy a seductive look. Gail knew the orders Rosemary had given to Selena and she felt dirty for allowing this to play out. Gail turned back towards Jimmy and downed the shot in front of her, then nodded her thanks.

Jimmy continued to stand in front of her, then leaned in close. 'I hear congratulations are in order...Who ever suspected that an Emory would agree to marry Lucas Buck' he mocked.

'Not my Father that's for sure' Gail let out a bitter laugh, then took a sip of her vodka and lemonade.

'Did I ever tell you that I went to school with your Pops?' Jimmy asked, as he slowly placed down 4 shot glasses in front of her.

'No you didn't' Gail glanced at him intrigued.

Jimmy smiled and began filling up the glasses with Sambuca. 'He was a stubborn man who could hide his feelings well...If he were around, I know this is exactly what he'd need right now' he advised, then held up a shot glass in a cheers motion.

'If he were here, I suspect he'd have shot him by now' Gail laughed, then held up a shot glass and downed it with him.

'Ain't that the truth...' Jimmy laughed, then downed another shot. '...Don't go forgettin' your lineage'

'There's no danger of that' Gail smiled and watched as Jimmy nodded, then headed to the end of the bar to serve another customer.

'If you ask me you've already forgotten your roots Gail' Selena mocked, as the leaned on the bar next to her and placed a handbag down.

Gail turned towards Selena and let out a long sigh, before rummaging in the bag and pulling out a tape recorder. 'I think you need to mind your own business' Gail snapped, then took the tape out of the recorder and placed it in her bag.

Selena disregarded Gail's comment and grabbed her left hand, to examine her engagement ring. 'Let's get one thing clear, I'm only here as I'm bored and I have no qualms about screwing over your friend, as this will bother you at some point down the line' she said cattily.

'No, you get this straight. You're only here as your hoping this'll help you get into our bed...This was happening with or without you and this way, you at least get to keep some control of your boyfriend' Gail mocked venomously.

Selena stared at Gail with disdain, then her look changed to one of mischief and she held out her hand. 'If you want me to finish this, I'm gonna need your phone Miss Perfect' she smiled.

Gail hesitated for a moment, then placed the tape recorder back in Christie's bag and handed it back to Selena, with her mobile telephone. 'Don't you dare hurt her' she ordered, feeling doubt flow through her.

Selena shook her head, then laughed. 'Oh I'll be very nice to your best friend Gail, now why don't you run along and let me do what I do best?' she smiled smugly.

Gail look a deep breath, then got down off the stool and headed out of the bar. She did not want to be around for what happened next and felt sick to her stomach for what she had instigated.

* * *

Lucas sat on the porch at the side of his property, rocking Luke in his arms. He had taken Caleb out for dinner, knowing Gail would not be home until late and then picked up Luke from Abe. Caleb had chosen to go to his bedroom and complete his homework; therefore, Lucas had opted to sit outside in the fresh air with his youngest. He was starting to feel like he was not seeing him enough and was happy for the opportunity to spend some quality time with him, just the two of them.

It had been a shock when Selena intruded on his quiet time and sauntered up to the porch twenty minutes earlier. He had not heard from Gail, so when Selena handed him her mobile telephone he had become suspicious. Selena had assured him that his love was fine and she had just performed an errand for her, which made Lucas intrigued. He could have gotten the truth easily out of Selena; however, he chose to send her away disappointed that he did not want to know more and await his loves return.

Lucas had placed the mobile telephone on the small table in front of him straight away; however, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he could not refrain from checking it for long. To say he was shocked at the pictures he found on the telephone was an understatement and he became more intrigued as to what Gail was up to. When he sensed her Mustang pulling into the street, he returned to the house to request Caleb look after Luke and met her at the door.

Gail sat with her head on her steering wheel for a few minutes, before sensing she was being watched. When she lifted her head up, she caught sight of Lucas at the door and quickly got out of her car and headed towards the back of the house. She knew Lucas was following her; however, she did not care. She continued to walk around the fountain, past Rosemary's empty grave and into the woods at the back of the property.

Lucas followed close behind Gail, when she past the empty grave he guessed exactly where she was heading and smiled. He knew she had not been to his families plot since she had found out that she was pregnant and the spirits in this area had become more lively since the birth of his youngest. Lucas watched as she appeared unfazed by the loud whispers and continued on past the clearing, to his families grave sight.

Gail headed straight for the unmarked grave of her past self and knelt down in front of it. She cursed herself for the darkness she had inside of her and blamed her past self for damning her to this fate. She sensed her past self lurking behind a tree next to the grave of her cousin, who had drowned her whilst pregnant with her unborn child in the Trinity River, then shook her head at how complicated her past was and let out a long sigh.

Lucas stood back watching her for a moment, then approached her slowly. He knelt down beside her, moved a stray piece of hair behind her ear and then placed her mobile telephone on the ground before her. 'Blackmail...that's your plan?' he asked calmly.

Gail's mouth dropped open when she heard his words and knew he had checked her mobile telephone. 'Invading my privacy, is that your plan?' she asked, attempting to control her anger.

Lucas disregarding her deflection and gently stroked her back. 'You made a choice today' he said knowingly.

'I made the wrong choice...' Gail snapped, then stood up and began pacing the graveyard. '...There's no evidence for me to find, you're too good for that right? Well a taped confession linking you to a murder classes as evidence Lucas'

Lucas laughed as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. 'You don't think I'm aware of Walter's ramblin's love? I knew what he'd say to you the moment I put him in Juniper, I'm not the one who challenged an out of state Reporter to get involved in our business' he shrugged.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'So this is nothing to do with you convincing Walter to murder his wife and by proxy his innocent child? This is just about my actions?' she asked sarcastically.

'This was never about Walter, or Betty, or your nosy friend. This has always been about you and me' he advised, then took hold of her left hand and stroked it tenderly with his thumb.

Gail stared deep into his eyes for a few moments, then clarity hit her and she yanked her hand out of his. 'This was about me choosing...you killed people to force me into a choice?' she asked in disbelief.

Lucas took a step closer to her and shook his head when she took a step back. 'You've been on the fence for far too long, interferin' with my business. We have a family now and you needed to chose whether you were for me, or against me...I see that your choice has been made, by the pictures of Selena, Christie and Billy on that thing' Lucas smirked, as he nodded towards the mobile telephone in her right hand.

'You're a bastard...You tricked me into betraying my best friend and for what? Some possessive need to control me? You're son of a bitch!' she snapped in disgust and slapped him hard across the face.

Lucas lunged forward, pulled her to the ground and secured her arms above her head effortlessly. He kissed the tip of her nose softly, then stroked his nose on hers affectionately. 'Watch your language Darlin', someone may take offence' he warned and felt the wind gust strong around them.

Gail disregarded the whispers that came from all around and the strong gusts of wind. She attempted to free her wrists from his grip; however, he had full control of her, therefore, she was well and truly stuck. 'You think this is over? Not by a long shot...One day I'm gonna get you Lucas and no amount of binds you have on me is going to prevent that'

'Is that a threat' he asked, amused at her confidence in her current bound position.

'It's a promise' she advised, staring deep into his eyes.

Lucas could see the truth in her eyes and felt excitement flow through him. He forced his lips on hers for a passionate kiss, then held her wrists securely in one hand and reached under her skirt with his free hand. He ripped off her panties roughly, then released his hard manhood from his pants and parted her legs with his knees. When he felt her struggle underneath him to prevent his desired action, he squeezed her wrists tight and cupped her chin in his free hand. 'Shhh love, just let it go' he whispered and placed a soft kiss on her lips, before reaching down and thrusting his hard manhood inside of her.

Gail let out a pained moan at his rough entry and bit his down hard on his bottom lip. She smiled when she tasted his blood in her mouth and tried to pull her head free when he gripped her chin tight.

'You need to calm down love, some would think I'm hurtin' you' he laughed, then began pounding in and out of her roughly.

Regardless of his earlier tender kisses, Gail knew this was punishment for her insubordination. She would never agree to blindly follow him and the sooner he understood that, the better it would be for everyone.

She tried as hard as she could to keep her guard up, in an attempt to spoil his fun; however, it slowly melted away with every thrust and she cursed her body for betraying her once again. Gail felt her body relax around him and her low moans gave away her enjoyment of this unapproved act.

Lucas sensed her acceptance and released her hands, he let out a loud moan when she wrapped her legs around him and scratched his back through his shirt. He continued to pound in and out of her roughly, then slowed his movements and stroked his nose over hers. 'See...this isn't so bad is it? I know you like it' he panted, then kissed her passionately.

Gail savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth and ran her hands down his chest, when they parted lips. She should not condone his behaviour; however, she could not deny their connection and her past self had bound her to him.

Lucas felt his climax rising, with the slow movements bringing an intense burst of pleasure. He sensed she was close and pushed his climax back for a moment, then let go and exploded within her when she called out his name in ecstasy. He lay down on top of her and kissed her softly, then nuzzled his head into her neck.

Gail tangled her hand in his hair and nipped at his ear, then pushed him off of her and stood up.

Lucas handed her a handkerchief, then watched as she cleaned herself up and fixed her clothes. He liked seeing the state he could get her in and smiled triumphantly when she winced slightly, as she tried to walk away.

'You tricked me into betraying my friend' Gail sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

'Nah, you did that all on your own love...I was only interest in this' he said and handed her a folded up picture.

Gail opened the picture that was taken of her engagement ring by the photographer today and glanced at Lucas confused. 'What are you talking about? You gave me the ring so your townspeople would distract me from my investigation'

'Or the investigation was to distract you into publicly accepting the proposal' he smiled devilishly and slapped her behind playfully.

Gail heard her Father's laughter in her head and swallowed hard. Jimmy had said it perfectly, no-one would ever have thought that an Emory would agree to marry a Buck. Had this been his game all along? She was so stupid believing she had the upper hand, she had been so distracted with Walter that she had shrugged off his proposal as nothing more than a diversion tactic and accepted it without a second thought.

Lucas sensed her disappointment in herself and wrapped his arm around her shoulder reassuringly. 'Don't be so hard on yourself, you forget I'm Lucas Buck. Regardless of what you think you know, I'm always gonna be 10 steps ahead of you. It's just how I roll...Now come on, it ain't right expectin' an 11 year old to look after a newborn for long' he smiled, then started to lead her back towards their home.

Gail was too confused to fight and allowed him to lead her effortlessly. She had chosen to screw over her friend to protect him and the fact that he knew all along that Walter would provide the necessary evidence, made her brain hurt. She had fallen right into his plan by obsessing over Walter and now their engaged was being prepared to be on the front page of tomorrow's Guardian, her Father's newspaper.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. After what she was planning to do to Christie, she deserved whatever her fate was with Lucas and would accept the consequences of her actions; however, right now all she wanted to do was to see little boy and allow him to cheer her up after she had clearly lost this round.

-The End-


End file.
